James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk was arguably the most famous and highly-decorated starship captain in the history of the Federation Starfleet. Over his long career, he spent 22 years commanding the ''Constitution''-class starships [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701) and [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-A), serving Federation interests as an explorer, soldier, time-traveller and diplomat. Early History James T. Kirk was born in 2233 in the town of Riverside, Iowa on planet Earth. (TOS: "The Deadly Years"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) "the Executioner"]] In 2246 Kirk was living on planet Tarsus IV during a food crisis that was starving the colony of 8,000. Governor Kodos, sympathetic to old eugenics philosophies, tried to save a portion of his colony by killing the 4,000 colonists he deemed least desirable or able to survive. Kodos was unaware of the imminent arrival of relief ships. The 13-year-old Jim Kirk was one of only nine eyewitnesses to the massacre. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Academy Years & Early Career By 2250, Kirk had returned to Earth, ready to begin his starfleet training. With some assistance from a man named Mallory, he was accepted into the Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. (TOS: "The Apple") Cadet Kirk soon caught the attention of a boisterous, bullying Irishman named Finnegan. The upperclassman evidently hazed Kirk mercilessly throughout the time they shared at the Academy. Sixteen years later, Kirk's antipathy for Finnegan was strong enough to be sensed by the Amusement Park planet, producing a simulacrum that Kirk could pummel for satisfaction. (TOS: "Shore Leave") In his plebe year, Kirk was a participant in the successful peace mission to the planet Axanar. he was awarded the Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission. (TOS:" Court Martial", "Whom Gods Destroy") Kirk's academic studies introduced him to men he would encounter later in his career. Among his more prominent teachers was John Gill, the noted professor of history and cultural observer . Captain Garth of Izar's exploits were required reading for cadets, and the famous captain joined Kirk's pantheon of heroes. (TOS:" Patterns of Force", "Whom Gods Destroy") Kirk began a friendship with instructor Lieutenant Ben Finney that continued into their service together aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. Kirk and underclassman Gary Mitchell became fast friends after Mitchell's entrance. Mitchell would later serve under Kirk aboard the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]]. (TOS: ''Court Martial, Where No Man Has Gone Before)'' In simulated command training, Kirk confronted the ''Kobayashi Maru'' scenario, used to evaluate a student's reactions to a "no-win" battle situation. Kirk refused to accept his first two defeats. Before his third attempt, Kirk secretly reprogrammed the simulation computer, consequently beating the "no-win" scenario and earning a commendation for original thinking. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) In the mid 2250s, Kirk was comissioned as an officer in the Federation Starfleet with the serial number SC937-0176CEC. As a young lieutenant in 2254, Kirk was assigned to command his first planetary survey mission, on Neural. Kirk met and befriended one of the planet's natives, Tyree. His report described a primitive but promising culture, and Starfleet endorsed his recommended policy of non-interference. (TOS: "A Private Little War") Aboard the Republic In the 2250s, Kirk served as an ensign, along with his friend Lieutenant Ben Finney, aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. Finney made a mistake nearly catastrophic to the ship. The incident was logged by Kirk, resulting in his friend's reprimand and fall to the bottom of the promotion list. (TOS: "Court Martial") Aboard the Farragut After graduating from the Academy in 2254, Kirk began service under Captain Garrovick. Kirk's first deep space assignment was as a lieutenant aboard the Garrovick's [[USS Farragut|USS Farragut]], serving as a tactical officer. (TOS: "Obsession") The USS Farragut engaged the dikironium cloud creature at planet Tycho IV in 2257. Captain Garrovick and nearly half of the 200 of the ship's crew were killed by the creature. Ship's record tapes of the event include Lieutenant Kirk blaming himself for the disaster, citing his delay in firing at the creature. The ship's executive officer disagreed, stating, "Lieutenant Kirk is a fine young officer who performed with uncommon bravery." (TOS: "Obsession") The USS Enterprise and her Five-Year Mission Kirk's Starfleet service through the late 2250s and early 2260s was rewarded with a rapid rise through the ranks. At 31 years of age in 2264, he was promoted to Captain. Not only the youngest captain in the fleet's history to date, Kirk was slated to command one of the twelve ''Constitution''-class starships, the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701). Kirk famously commanded the Enterprise and her namesake for twenty-two years, but it's her historic five-year mission from 2265 to 2270 that made him a legend in space exploration. (Star Trek: Generations; VOY: "Q2") Kirk's living quarters aboard the Enterprise were on Deck 5, room "3F 121". (TOS: "Journey to Babel" Year One Kirk's first major step, attempting an extra-galactic probe in 2265, proved to be a disaster. Discovering a recorder-marker from the [[SS Valiant|SS ''Valiant]] that described a catastrophic disaster after visiting the Galaxy's edge, Kirk pushed on, encountering the Galactic barrier for his first time. The Enterprise failed to breach the barrier, and barely escaped destruction. With warp engines badly damaged, Enterprise limped under impulse power towards the Delta Vega lithium cracking station. Kirk's senior navigator, his best friend Gary Mitchell began a transformation triggered by the barrier, developing psychic powers that progressed as rapidly as he shed his humanity. Ignoring Spock's advice to kill Mitchell immediately, Kirk hesitated until after Mitchell killed helmsman Lee Kelso. On the surface of Delta Vega, Kirk hunted Mitchell, only able to kill him with the help another officer undergoing the sane transformation as Mitchell, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") Kirk continued his mission, and reorganized his command crew. Commander Spock, a legacy-officer from Captain Christopher Pike, would serve as Science officer and acknowledged as First officer. A new Chief medical officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy came aboard. Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott remained Chief engineer. Lieutenant Uhura became Communications officer and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu was transferred to the helm. Kirk was unable to settle on a regular Navigator for another year. In 2266, Kirk made first contact with the First Federation, when detained by Captain Balok and his massive spaceship Fesarius. Both captains bluffed ferocity, but Kirk's poker-face held. Balok proved to be quite friendly, eager to begin a cultural exchange. Later that year, Kirk and crew made first contact with the mythical Thasians, although the encounter was brief. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Charlie X") Kirk learned something about his own nature after a transporter malfunction on stardate 1672.1. Kirk was split into two physical duplicates, one intuitive and passive, the other violent and passionate. While separated, the survival of both personalities were threatened, and a way was eventually found to recombine the two. (TOS: "The Enemy Within") On stardate 1709.2, Kirk repelled the first Romulan incursion into Federation space in over a century. He was ordered to take the Enterprise to the Romulan Neutral Zone, where an unidentified vessel had destroyed four Neutral Zone outposts. The vessel was not only revealed to be a Romulan Bird-of-Prey, but it was found to be capable of rendering itself invisible, a technological feat that until then was only considered theoretically possible. The ship was also armed with a powerful, new plasma torpedo, which nearly destroyed the Enterprise. Kirk took the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone against Starfleet orders in an effort to capture the vessel. After an extensive chase and subsequent battle, the Enterprise disables the Romulan vessel, after which the Romulan commander destroyed his own ship. During this encounter, Kirk and his bridge crew became the first Starfleet officers to see a Romulan face-to-face. Prior to this point, the appearance of the Romulans was a mystery. (TOS: "Balance of Terror") On stardate 2817.6, Kirk responds to the call of a comrade Thomas Leighton, another survivor and witness to the horror of Tarsus IV. Leighton suspects the actor Anton Karidian is really Kodos "the Executioner", long thought dead. After Leighton's murder, Kirk charms Lenore Karidian into bringing the acting troupe. Murder attempts against Kirk and Enterprise crewmember Kevin Riley (another survivor) lead Kirk to confront Karidian/Kodos, but he discovers the recent murders are the actions of an unbalanced Lenore, trying to protect her tormented aging father. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Kirk's command was jeopardized by Spock when he kidnapped his horribly crippled former commander, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, and comandeered the Enterprise. Spock locked the ship on course to Talos IV before submitting to a tribunal of Kirk, Pike, and Commodore Mendez. Spock's crimes were in violation of General Order 7 and punishable by death. When Spock's ultimate goal was revealed, to allow Pike, a starfleet hero, to live an semblance of normality under Talosian illusion, Starfleet disregarded the matter. Year Two By 2267, Kirk had earned an impressive list of commendations from Starfleet, including the Grankite Order of Tactics, Class of Excellence and the Prentares Ribbon of Commendation. Kirk's awards for valor included the Starfleet Medal of Honor, the Starfleet Silver Palm with cluster, the Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry, and the Karagite Order of Heroism. (TOS: "Court Martial") That year, Kirk became the first starship captain to ever face a court martial, being accused of causing the death of Ben Finney. Kirk's trial, held at Starbase 11, proved Kirk innocent of wrongdoing when it was revealed that Finney had faked his own death and framed Kirk in an attempt to get revenge for his inability to gain his own command. Finney was then taken into custody and Kirk was exonerated. (TOS: "Court Martial") Later, on stardate 3045.6, Kirk made first contact with the species known as the Gorn. When the Enterprise gave chase to a Gorn ship that had destroyed the Federation base at Cestus III, Kirk and the Gorn captain were taken from their respective ships to a desolate planet by the Metrons, who forced the two captains to fight each other, threatening to destroy the loser's vessel. Kirk ultimately proved victorious, but when he refused to kill the Gorn, the Metrons were impressed and allowed both ships to go free. (TOS: "Arena") On stardate 3141.9, Kirk and his crew discovered a group of genetically-engineered Augments from Earth's Eugenics Wars, led by Khan Noonien Singh. Khan and his followers attempted to take over the Enterprise, but were ultimately foiled. Kirk exiled Khan and his people on planet Ceti Alpha V, where he would have a chance to live out his days in peace without threatening others. (TOS: "Space Seed") Year Three During the original five-year mission, Kirk recorded a tape of last orders to be played by Commander Spock and Chief Medical Officer McCoy upon his death. While trapped in a spatial interphase near Tholian space, Kirk vanished with the [[USS Defiant (NCC-1764)|USS Defiant]] and was declared dead. His last orders conveyed the hope that his two friends would work together despite their differences. ("The Tholian Web") Year Three Year Three Time Travels ]] Several of Kirk's voyages involved travel through time. According to the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations, Kirk, who sometimes ignored regulations when he felt it was for the greater good, amassed 17 separate temporal violations during his career, more than any other person on file. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations") :On screen, Kirk went back in time on at least seven occasions: TOS: "The Naked Time, "Assignment: Earth", "Tomorrow is Yesterday", "The City on the Edge of Forever", "All Our Yesterdays"; TAS: "Yesteryear" and ''Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and forward at least once: Star Trek: Generations.'' Later Career Following the return of the Enterprise from the five-year mission in 2270, Kirk received a promotion to rear admiral and became Chief of Starfleet Operations, a post he held for two and a half years. Kirk recommended Willard Decker to replace him as Enterprise captain while the ship underwent an extensive refit. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture") In late 2272-early 2273, when Earth was threatened by the entity V'Ger, Kirk convinced Admiral Nogura that he was the best choice to face its threat. Although Kirk maintained his rank as admiral, he regained command of the Enterprise, in which position he was referred to as her captain. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) Kirk went on to command a second five-year mission of the Enterprise from 2273 through 2278, adding to an already near-legendary service record. Kirk retired from Starfleet (albeit briefly) in 2281 to pursue a number of personal goals and affairs. (Star Trek: Generations) :Kirk's second five-year mission in command of the ''Enterprise was never canonically established, but it is widely accepted by fans based on the fact that Star Trek: Phase II was to depict a new five-year mission; that show was abandoned and its pilot episode became Star Trek: The Motion Picture, while two other scripts were recycled for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation when a writer's strike hampered production.'' Kirk returned to Starfleet in 2284 and took a position in the admiralty, as a staff instructor at Starfleet Academy. Kirk was dissatisfied with ground assignment, and returned to active duty in 2285 when Khan Noonien Singh hijacked the [[USS Reliant|USS Reliant]] and stole the Genesis Device. During the mission, Captain Spock was killed when he entered an area flooded by radiation in order to carry out critical repairs to the ship. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) The loss impacted Kirk deeply, and when he learned that Spock's katra had survived, Kirk and the remaining Enterprise senior officers stole the ship from Earth Spacedock in order to recover the re-animated body of Spock from the Genesis Planet and bring it to Vulcan, where Spock was brought back to life in the fal-tor-pan (refusion) ritual. Kirk ordered the Enterprise's destruction in the incident to prevent its capture by Klingons. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Kirk and his officers were charged with nine violations of Starfleet regulations and subsequently subjected to a court martial for their actions in appropriating the Enterprise, but in light of their actions all charges where dismissed with the exception of one charge against Admiral Kirk, of disobeying a superior officer. Kirk pled guilty. The Federation Council was nonetheless grateful for Kirk's role in saving Earth from the devastating effects of an alien probe, which was causing massive environmental damage while attempting to communicate with an extinct species of whale, that Kirk's sentence was a mere reduction in rank to Captain, and he was assigned command of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise-A]]. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) Kirk commanded this ship for a further seven years. His career culminated in his escort of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to Earth for a peace conference in early 2293. Kirk opposed Gorkon's peace initiative, and especially resented the fact that he was chosen as the Federation's olive branch. During that mission, assassins from among his crew killed the Chancellor. Kirk (along with McCoy) was subsequently arrested and wrongly convicted for the murder of Gorkon by Federation and Klingon forces conspiring to block Gorkon's initiatives. Sentenced to the infamous Rura Penthe penal asteroid, known throughout the galaxy as the "Aliens' Graveyard" and reputed to be escape-proof, Kirk and McCoy rapidly escaped. He took the Enterprise-A to Khitomer to prevent another assassination attempt, this time on the Federation president, and saved the historic Khitomer Conference from further attacks. The Enterprise-A was decommissioned, and Kirk retired from Starfleet shortly thereafter. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Vitality The demands of Kirk's career required his best possible health, closely overseen by Dr. McCoy. Kirk sparred with his crew in the Enterprise Gymnasium for exercise. Quarterly physical checks tested his physical fitness as well as general health. In spite of his evident strength and conditioning, Kirk did tend to put on a few extra pounds from time to time. When Dr. McCoy noticed a gain, he wasn't afraid to adjust Kirk's diet card, angering Kirk with a plate of dietary salad. (TOS: "Charlie X", "The Corbomite Maneuver") Kirk spent a huge portion of his life aboard Starships, and consequently relished the times he could spend outdoors. He was an accomplished equestrian, and kept a horse at a mountain cabin that he owned during his first retirement. Another companion at his mountain cabin was Butler, his Great Dane. He sold the cabin sometime after his return to Starfleet. A personal challenge that nearly cost him his life was free-climbing the sheer El Capitan mountain face in Yosemite National Park on Earth.(Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Physical Combat Kirk's command style frequently brought him in close proximity to his enemies, often resulting in hand-to-hand combat. His idiosyncratic martial-arts style used hand-chops to the neck, wrestling throws, round-house punches, two-fisted swings and open-hand slaps in varying combinations. A variety of enemy guards and henchmen were overwhelmed by one or two of Kirk's blows. A typical example of Kirk's fighting style in a more extended bout occurred in 2265 on the surface of Delta Vega, in the attempt to kill his friend Gary Mitchell. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action", ''Where No Man Has Gone Before)'' At times, Kirk was clearly out-classed by a larger, more powerful opponent, and left to his wits, the aid of his crew, or pure luck. Pitted against a Gorn in 2267, he held his own for a time, until his injuries forced withdrawal and a search for a more efficient weapon. In 2254 and again in 2267 he wrestled a ferocious Mugatu of Neural. When attacked by the massive ancient android Ruk on Exo III in 2266, Kirk could do little but hold on for the ride. (TOS: "Arena", "A Private Little War", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") On the Amusement Park planet in 2267, Kirk was shocked by the appearance of Finnegan, his Academy nemesis who hadn't seemed to age. The two proceeded to slug each other until they were bleeding and exhausted. Perhaps the longest fist-fight of his life, it was clearly the most satisfying. (TOS: "Shore Leave") Kirk fought his friend and first officer Spock on three occasions when the half-Vulcan lost his normal emotional control. A series of slaps delivered to Spock in 2266 resulted in a blow that sent Kirk over a table. In 2267, after necessarily cruel taunts, Spock tossed Kirk back and forth across the transporter room, regaining control just before he crushed his captain's skull. Spock's blood fever during his Pon farr of 2267 made him so dangerous, Dr. McCoy faked Kirk's death before Spock could kill him. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "This Side of Paradise", "Amok Time") Ailments Early in his life, Kirk contracted and nearly died from Vegan choriomeningitis. Although he was cured, the organisms of the disease continued to be carried in his blood. At the end of the year 2268, the governing council of the planet Gideon would attempt to use these organisms to control their planet's overpopulation. (TOS: "The Mark of Gideon") Kirk was allergic to Retinax V; as a result, he needed to use old fashioned corrective lenses to adjust for his increasing farsightedness. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Relationships Friendships Gary Mitchell Kirk met a young Gary Mitchell in 2250, and the two would become fast friends following Mitchell's admission into the Academy. They would participate in the same class together, with Kirk holding the rank of lieutenant. Kirk's tenacity in this class would earn him the nickname "a stack of books with legs", and Mitchell would later recall how other cadets warned him to watch out for Lieutenant Kirk, since in his class, you were forced to "think or sink." In an attempt to divert his friend's attentions and make the class easier to get through, Mitchell set Kirk up with a "little blonde lab technician" whom Kirk would almost marry. Later in their careers, Kirk and Mitchell took part in a mission to planet Dimorus, where they encountered sentient rodent-like creatures that shot poisonous darts. Mitchell took one of the darts meant for Kirk, saving Kirk's life but nearly dying himself. Kirk and Mitchell also spent a wild shore leave together on Deneb IV. When Kirk was given command of the Enterprise, he asked Mitchell to come aboard to serve as his senior navigator. Mitchell was a part of Kirk's crew when the Enterprise departed for its five-year mission in 2265. Sadly, Kirk would be forced to kill his friend that same year when a fateful encounter with the galactic barrier mutated Mitchell into a godlike being. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") Ben Finney When Kirk was a midshipman, he befriended Academy instructor Lieutenant Ben Finney. Some time later, Kirk and Finney would serve together aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. The two would become so close that Finney would name his daughter, Jame, after Kirk. A rift developed between the two friends while aboard the Republic when Kirk logged a mistake that Finney had made which could have caused the destruction of the ship. Because of this, Finney was put on reprimand and his name was sent to the bottom of the promotion list. Finney would blame Kirk for his subsequent inability to gain a command of his own. Though their friendship was effectively over, Lieutenant Commander Finney served aboard the Enterprise in 2267 as Records officer. Kirk was unaware that Finney's old grudge had been growing larger over the years, and Finney had passed into madness. To take his revenge, he staged his own death and manufactured evidence of Kirk's negligence. Finney was successful to a point, and Kirk became the first Federation Starfleet starship commander brought before a Court Martial. With the help of the eccentric lawyer Samuel T. Cogley and Mr. Spock, Finney's deception was revealed and charges against Kirk were lifted. Finney was arrested and faced trial, represented by Mr. Cogley. (TOS: "Court Martial") Spock Kirk presumably first met his Vulcan science officer Spock upon succeeding Christopher Pike as Captain of the Enterprise. Since that time, their friendship has grown closer, such that upon Spock's death, Sarek believed that it was to Kirk that Spock turned to transfer his katra. Leonard McCoy Romance Kirk was notably unsuccessful in maintaining a long-term relationship with any woman. Although he was involved with many different women during his life, his intense passion for his ship and his career always seemed to interfere. In 2252, while still attending the Academy, Kirk was romantically involved with a woman named Ruth. In 2267, he would be greeted by a replica of Ruth created by the Amusement Park planet in the Omicron Delta region. Kirk was also involved with Janice Lester while attending the Academy. The two would be reunited in a truly bizarre manner in 2269, when Lester, extremely jealous of Kirk's successful career, traded her consciousness with that of Kirk's to take his place as captain of the Enterprise. (TOS: "Shore Leave", "Turnabout Intruder") In 2261, Kirk was involved with Dr. Carol Marcus. The two had a child, David Marcus, but Kirk and Carol did not remain together, because their respective careers took them in separate directions. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Kirk was also involved with the future Janet Wallace in 2261; this relationship was also called off due to their difference in careers. In 2262, Kirk's would break off his relationship with Areel Shaw. Shaw would become the prosecutor in Kirk's court martial four years later, but was pleased when she lost the case and Kirk was exonerated of any wrongdoing. (TOS: "The Deadly Years", "Court Martial") Two of Kirk's more tragic relationships came during his first five-year command of the Enterprise. In 2267, Kirk and Spock traveled back to the 1930s to repair damage to the timeline accidently caused by Leonard McCoy. While searching for McCoy in the past, Kirk met and fell in love with social worker Edith Keeler. Unfortunately, Keeler was found to be the focal point in history changed by McCoy: Kirk was forced to allow Keeler to die in order to restore the timeline. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever") The following year, Kirk, suffering from amnesia, fell in love and married Miramanee, the tribal priestess of a Native American tribe, on the planet Amerind. Miramanee would subsequently become pregnant with Kirk's child, but both she and the unborn child would both be killed when she and Kirk were stoned during a local power struggle. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") Kirk fell in love with Antonia after his first retirement from Starfleet. The two lived together for some time before Kirk decided to rejoin Starfleet. For the rest of his life, he regretted not having proposed to her. (Star Trek: Generations) Family Kirk had an older brother, George Samuel Kirk, whom he called "Sam", and sister-in-law Aurelan. They were lost on the planet Deneva due to the invasion of the neural parasites in 2267. Kirk's nephew, Peter Kirk would survive the attack. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!") Sam Kirk had two other sons who were not on Deneva at the time of the tragedy. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") David Marcus In 2285, Kirk was reunited with Carol Marcus and their son, David, who were both working on Project Genesis, when Kirk rescued them from Khan Noonien Singh. David had not been made aware that Kirk was his father; however, the two of them were able to achieve a degree of rapprochement. Tragically, however, shortly thereafter, David was murdered on the Genesis Planet, by a Klingon officer who sought to steal the secret of Genesis. Kirk carried the bitterness for his son's murder for years; this caused his previous political opposition of the Klingon Empire to evolve into a personal hatred of the Klingons as a race. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) The Nexus Shortly after his second retirement, Kirk joined his friends Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov as honored guests on the maiden voyage of the ''Excelsior''-class [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise-B]] in 2293. The voyage was little more than a ceremonial cruise; the Enterprise-B was neither fully equipped or staffed. During the voyage, the ship received a distress signal from two ''Whorfin''-class ships transporting El Aurian refugees, that were trapped in an energy distortion called the Nexus. The Enterprise-B responded, and during the rescue attempt, Kirk was lost through a hull breach after successfully making a modification to the ship's deflector relays that would enable the ship to escape the energy distortion. Although Kirk was presumed dead, it was later learned that he had actually entered the Nexus, where he remained until 2371. In that year, he was discovered by ''Enterprise''-D Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and agreed to leave the anomaly in order to help stop the deranged scientist Dr. Tolian Soran from destroying the Veridian system. Kirk was successful in saving the Veridians and the crew of the Enterprise-D, but the heroic effort cost Kirk his life when the bridge he was on collapsed into a ravine. James T. Kirk was buried in a simple stone cairn on a mountain top on the planet Veridian III, much like the burial of his friend Gary Mitchell 96 years before. (Star Trek: Generations) Key Dates * 2233: Born in Riverside, Iowa on Earth. * 2246: On Tarsus IV, is one of nine witnesses to massacre ordered by Governor Kodos. * 2250: Enters Starfleet Academy as a Cadet. (conjecture) Meets Gary Mitchell. * 2252: Is romantically involved with Ruth. * 2254: Graduates from Academy after beating the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario. (conjecture) Assigned under command of Captain Garrovick. Commands his first away mission, a survey on planet Neural. * Early to mid-2250s: As an Ensign, is assigned aboard [[USS Republic|USS Republic]], along with Lieutenant Ben Finney. Kirk also participates in the Axanar Peace Mission. * 2257: Encounters dikironium cloud creature while serving abouard the USS Farragut. * 2261: Relationship with Carol Marcus ends; their son, David Marcus, is born. (conjecture) Kirk breaks off relationship with Janet Wallace. .]] * 2263: Breaks off relationship with Areel Shaw. * 2265 - 2270: As Captain, commands five-year mission of USS Enterprise. Specific accomplishments include: : 2265: Takes the USS Enterprise across the galactic barrier, the first Earth ship to do so in 200 years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend Gary Mitchell. : 2266: Achieves first contact with the First Federation led by Balok. Later that year, destroys a Romulan Bird-of-Prey which has crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone and attacked several Federation outposts. : 2267: Becomes the first Starfleet Captain ever to stand trial when he is court martialed for negligent homicide in the death of Ben Finney. During the trial Finney is found to be alive. : 2268: Responsible for stealing a Romulan cloaking device during a covert Starfleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lives among the American Indians on Amerind where he weds Miramanee. : 2269: Diverts the asteroid-ship Yonada from destroying Daran V. * 2270: Promoted to Rear Admiral and assigned as Chief of Starfleet Operations. * 2272/2273: Accepts temporary grade reduction to Captain and assumes command of USS Enterprise to intercept V'Ger. * 2281: Retires from Starfleet. * 2284: Returns to Starfleet as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. * 2285: Assumes temporary command of the Enterprise during a routine training mission, engages Khan Noonien Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula. Deserts from Starfleet later that year to retrieve body of Captain Spock from Genesis Planet. * 2286: Returns to Earth to face court martial charges. Subsequently saves the planet in the Whale Probe incident. Demoted to Captain for disobeying orders of Starfleet Commander Harry Morrow and assigned to command the USS Enterprise-A. * 2287: Takes the Enterprise to the center of the galaxy after a hijack attempt by Vulcan renegade Sybok. * 2293: Responsible for saving the Khitomer Conference, along with Captain Hikaru Sulu of the [[USS Excelsior|USS Excelsior]]; retired by Starfleet and is believed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise-B]]. * 2371: Found alive inside the Nexus by Jean-Luc Picard. Killed by Tolian Soran while defeating his plans and saving planet Veridian III. Background James T. Kirk was played by actor William Shatner throughout TOS, TAS and the first seven films. The only episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series in which Kirk does not appear are the first pilot, "The Cage", and the animated episode "The Slaver Weapon". William Shatner was not the first choice to play Kirk. The producers first approached actors Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lord for the role; both turned it down. Both Bridges and Lord have since passed away. Actress Sandra Smith also played Captain Kirk (in Janice Lester's body) in "Turnabout Intruder" (TOS). Ambiguities Accepted canon regarding Kirk's life before the ''Enterprise is scarce and ambiguous. The following notes attempt to reconcile the "mysteries" of Kirk and canon, but these questions may never be satisfactorily answered.'' Birth *Many have speculated and have accepted the date of March 22nd to be Kirk's birthday, as it is also the birthday of William Shatner, the actor who portrayed Kirk. However, this date has not been mentioned on-screen and is therefore unofficial and non-canon.'' *Kirk's birthplace of Riverside was also never fully canonically established on screen, but it is accepted as canon. The real life town of Riverside "claimed" Kirk after Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home established that Kirk was born in Iowa, and with Gene Roddenberry's consent, developed a tourist industry around this idea.'' Mitchell Madness *Mitchell's recollections of Kirk at the Academy can be interpreted differently. One interpretation is that Kirk was an instructor (or student instructor) and Mitchell one of his students. Another interpretation has Kirk as a classmate of Mitchell's, a bookworm who proved difficult to keep up with in class. Dialogue from the episode does little to make it clear which is the case. *The "little blonde lab technician" mentioned by Mitchell was later thought by some to be a reference to Carol Marcus; however, it could just as easily be a reference to Janet Wallace or Ruth or some other woman with whom Kirk was involved. Though, given that Kirk had a son with Marcus, it would make sense that she might be the one he almost married.'' *According to the infamous and incorrect "James R. Kirk" tombstone, created by Gary Mitchell in TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Kirk was born on stardate 1277.1. That could have been the stardate Kirk actually assumed command of the Enterprise, with its place on the tombstone being part of Mitchell's morbid sense of humor.'' Republic and Farragut *Many believe that Kirk was serving aboard the USS Farragut during his 2254 mission to Neural, although that was never established. *According to many sources, including the Star Trek Chronology, Kirk's tour-of-duty aboard the Republic and the incident with Finney took place while Kirk was still an Academy cadet, albeit with the brevet rank of ensign. However, dialogue from the "Court Martial" episode neither supports nor refutes this conclusion. It is also unknown whether Kirk's assignment aboard the Republic took place before or after his term on the Farragut. *Kirk's rank aboard the Republic is that of ensign; it is mentioned in TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that he was a lieutenant while serving in the Academy but not clarified if this means a midshipman lieutenant or a regular one. This is the reason many speculate Kirk to have received the brevet rank of ensign while at the Academy and that his tour-of-duty aboard the Republic took place prior to his graduation. However, as stated above, none of the episodes neither support or refute this conclusion. *It is unclear from the episodes whether Kirk first served under Garrovick aboard the Farragut, since Kirk only stated that Garrovick had been his commanding officer since graduation. Whether Kirk's assignment to Neural took place while serving aboard the Farragut is also unknown, however, many believe that it took place while Kirk was assigned to that vessel. Apocrypha Outside of filmed canon productions, the character of Kirk has appeared in many novels, comics, games and collectibles. While Kirk is the hero of nearly every TOS novel, he is notably the star of a series of novels by William Shatner (with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens) which stars Kirk, reborn after his 24th century death. Shatner and the Reeves-Stevens' novels are part of the Pocket TOS series. Kirk, James Kirk, James Kirk, James Kirk, James T. de:James T. Kirk fr:James T. Kirk nl:James T. Kirk